1 John 1
1 [I, John, am writing to you about] the one who existed before [there was anything else]. He is the one whom we [apostles] listened to [as he taught us!] We saw him! We ourselves looked at him and touched him! [He is the one who taught us] the message that [enables people to have eternal] life (OR, live [spiritually]).
That which was from the first, which has come to our ears, and which we have seen with our eyes, looking on it and touching it with our hands, about the Word of life
2 Because he came here [to the earth] and we have seen him, we proclaim to you clearly that the one whom we have seen is the [one who] has always lived. He was [previously] with his Father in heaven, but he came to live among us. (aiōnios g166)
(And the life was made clear to us, and we have seen it and are witnessing to it and giving you word of that eternal life which was with the Father and was seen by us); (aiōnios g166)
3 We proclaim to you the [message about Jesus], the one whom we saw and heard, in order that you may have a close relationship with us. The ones whom we have a close relationship with are God our Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
We give you word of all we have seen and everything which has come to our ears, so that you may be united with us; and we are united with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ:
4 I am writing to you about these things so that [you (will be convinced/believe]) [that they are true, and as a] result we may be completely joyful.
And we are writing these things to you so that our joy may be made complete.
5 The message that we heard from Christ and proclaim to you is this: God is [pure in every way. He never sins. He is like] [MET] a [brilliant] light that has no darkness at all.
This is the word which came to us from him and which we give to you, that God is light and in him there is nothing dark.
6 If we claim to have a close relationship with [God], but [we conduct our lives in an impure manner, that is like] living [MET] in [evil] darkness. We are lying. We are not conducting our lives according to [God’s] true message.
If we say we are joined to him, and are walking still in the dark, our words are false and our acts are untrue:
7 But living [in a pure manner], as God is [living in a pure manner] [MET] [in every way, is like living] in God’s light. If we do that, we have a close relationship with each other. Not only that, but [God] (acquits us/removes [the guilt]) [of] all our sins because [he accepts] what his Son Jesus did for us [when his] blood [flowed from his body when he died. So we should conduct our lives] ([in a manner according to what God says is pure]).
But if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, we are all united with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son makes us clean from all sin.
8 Those who say they never behave sinfully are deceiving themselves, and refusing [to accept as] true [what God says about them].
If we say that we have no sin, we are false to ourselves and there is nothing true in us.
9 But God will do what he says that he will do, and what he does is [always] right. So, if we confess to him that we [have behaved] sinfully, he will forgive [us for] our sins and (will free us from/remove) [the guilt of] all our sins. [Because of that], [we should confess to him that we have behaved sinfully].
If we say openly that we have done wrong, he is upright and true to his word, giving us forgiveness of sins and making us clean from all evil.
10 [Because God says that everyone has sinned], those who say/claim that they have never behaved sinfully talk [as though] God lies! They reject what God says [about us]!
If we say that we have no sin, we make him false and his word is not in us.
